1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an impact detector to detect impact to an article and a packaging container including the impact detector.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
In the course of transport, it sometimes happen that fragile packaged articles such as precision apparatuses fall or drop due to careless handling, accidents, or the like. The impact of the fall or drop can damage the articles. For this reason, therefore, impact detectors are typically attached to packaged articles to detect whether or not the article has been subjected to impact.
For example, impact detectors that detect falling of packaged articles in three-dimensions, that is, in both anteroposterior direction and lateral directions, typically use two movable members (e.g., weights) such as spheres contained in a case body. The interior of the case body is divided into an initial position-retaining compartment and a transition compartment to retain each sphere at an initial position and at an impact detection position, respectively. Although the initial position-retaining compartment and the transition compartment are separated by a partition, a hole is formed in the partition to allow the spheres to move between the initial position-retaining compartment and the transition compartment upon sufficient impact. Additionally, each sphere at the impact detection position is visible through an inspection window formed in the case body.
However, although falling of the packaged article can be detected in both the anteroposterior direction and the lateral direction, this configuration has several drawbacks. For example, this configuration makes the impact detector relatively bulky because a path through which the weight moves from the initial position to the impact detection position is formed for each of impact to a back side and impact to a front side. In addition, because a single inspection window is used to detect both anteroposterior impact and lateral impact, users cannot identify the direction in which the packaged article has fallen because this configuration does not distinguish between anteroposterior impact and lateral impact, that is, for example, between the back side and a right side and between the front side and a left side.
Therefore, the inventor of the present invention recognizes that there is a need for a compact impact detector that can provide impact history data on the packaged article distinguishable in multiple different directions, which known approaches fail to do.